Alternative Spring Break Dom Rep, day 3: ‘Each day I spend here I realize there is more than meets the eye’

While other students are looking forward to some rest and relaxation this spring break, close to 250 FIU students will be spending their time helping others. From March 13-22, the students are participating in FIU’s Alternative Spring Break, a program that gives them a chance to volunteer all over the world. One of FIU’s groups is in the Dominican Republic. You can follow their adventures in this blog. Today we hear from Jessica Lee.

Pulling up to the small stretch of beach in Guaycanes we were greeted by small fishing boats hauled out onto the sand. Their sides were weathered by the sea and every now and then flecks of old paint could be seen. On the other side of these hulls, resting patiently across the decks, was a mosaic of oar-like planks. Many were no more than remnants of their previous form as most were lashed together by old wire, fishing line or stands of string in an attempt to hold the remaining pieces as one. At first glance these small boats had the look of a forgotten home, but these vessels still had life and, more than that, these vessels are life to many of the local fishermen. Day after day without questions these boats are stirred from their rest along the shores as the men of the towns hop on board and begin their day venturing out well beyond the sight of land. With a single motor, oars and some line they go out. While some of the fisheries here consist of nearby reef fish, the hopes of these men are a catch much bigger: marlin. The living of the people here is tied to the sea. Just because they wake up and risks their lives out in the ocean doesn’t guarantee they will make any money because without a catch they don’t get paid and without money they can’t live. If the fisheries are down then so are they. We may fish for sport or for a tasty meal, but many here fish to live.

After taking a moment we continued on from this small beach and walked up the narrow streets of Guaycanes as we started the day speaking to the people about the lion fish. Everyone we approached greeted us with genuine smiles and even more genuine responses. Many stopped what they were doing to speak in detail about the lion fish or express their concerns. They asked questions both about the project we were working on as well as our lives. Many people began to approach us and asked us for more information and quickly we ran out of the educational materials we had. We held onto one sheet and continued walking around the town. One man in particular stood out to me. Like the overlooked boats along the shore, we passed this elderly man to speak to some of the younger fishermen nearby. As we talked to them he approached us, he still had life. His weathered skin told us of his many years in the sun, but flecks of life could still be seen in his eyes. He told us stories of 40 years of diving and fishing, he was the best diver in the area, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he could still hold his own after seeing the excitement in his face.

Before leaving Guaycanes, Michelle and Tommy worked on another part of our project. They sat down and did a detailed interview with one of the men who came in from fishing marlin. As his friends carried up the catch, he spoke with them. He was a wealth of knowledge and the three spent a long time along the shore going through the survey. After the interview was done we thanked him with some of the hooks the Billfish Foundation had donated to our group to give to the men we worked with.

Later in the evening we went back to La Punta. We ran a sports clinic there at the recreation center in the corner of the town with a few supplies we were able to purchase back in the United States. The evening spent with the kids of La Punta was one of the most enjoyable times I have ever had. Their smiles and laughter were contagious. Looking around the field I saw Alternative Spring Break people scattered across the are,a each one surrounded by jumping kids. Frisbee in the corners, soccer in another and basketball out on the courts. There was something happening everywhere. Scanning the scene I did a double take as I saw the older kids hoisting one another up to the basketball hoops to put up the new nets. I have never felt so welcomed in my life. As the sun set we sadly had to stop the games, but the fun just continued down into the streets. The kids poured out of the recreation area and followed us as we walked to the home of the family we were working with. The lights were out in the area so many of the smiles were lost as the sun disappeared, but the laughing and feeling of excitement still lit up the area. We stood for a long time in front of the homes and said our goodbyes. We were just beginning to know and see the people of La Punta, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. I didn’t think such a short time in one place could affect me so much. Each day I spend here I realize there is more than meets the eye. Behind a dusty road, a worn boat or the collage of houses there is life and there are people who live these lives with joy and bonds and community that many of us don’t have here in the United States. — Jessica Lee